The Final Journey
by xem98x
Summary: The train crash that killed her siblings changed her life forever. This is the story of how Susan Pevensie fought her own memory and stubbornness and finally found her way home.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Having just reread all the books and watched the movies again, I've decided I don't like the idea of Susan being left behind after the train crash and so I'm writing the story of how she eventually made it home.**

Susan's world had become one of work, parties and friends, her life in Narnia was so long forgotten it had become one of those amazing dreams you have and then forget the minute you wake up. Some might say that her desperation to live an ordinary life made her conceited and vain, her siblings had known better than to think that. They had understood that the last time Susan left Narnia she had more to leave behind than the rest of them, they had understood that in order to stay sane she couldn't spend her days dreaming over going back to someone and somewhere that would never be possible. They had understood well enough to let her leave, to let her move on and she had loved them that much more for it.

So the day the telegram with news of the train crash arrived in Susan's New York home, was the day her world came crashing down around her. She had held the tiny piece of paper in her hand and collapsed onto the floor in a heap of tears.

"Why?" She had screamed at thin air in between sobs. "Why?" She had repeated whispering and clutching at her chest, but no reply came.

It had taken about a day for Susan to come to her senses and begin to think logically. By the end of the week her apartment was packed up and she was ready to travel back to London, ready to face her dauntingly empty childhood home and ready to finally say goodbye to her family.

To most the boat docking in London would have been a tremendous sight, for a child it may have even been a moment of excitement. For Susan fighting her way through the hoards of happy family reunions it was a moment filled with despair. But opening the door to the empty family home was the worst part by fair.

When the door opened it revealed unopened mail on the mat, shoes scattered by the stairs, Lucy's coat on the stairs, their mother's apron hanging on the kitchen door. It looked so ordinary Susan half expected Lucy to come running out to greet her, or Peter to appear in the doorway to the study and demand to know where she had been for so long. But that didn't happen and it never would happen.

The day of the funeral arrived and Susan felt her heart shatter into a million pieces as the six coffins of her parents and siblings were lowered slowly into the ground. Tears had fallen freely down her face as she whispered her final goodbyes to each of them. There had been many friends and colleagues at the funeral but they had all left by the time Susan finally turned and walked away from the fresh graves of her family.

In Susan's eyes the days after the funeral were the worst, listening to the wills of her family had only shattered her heart further, the lawyer had tried to cheer her up by saying "At least you're a very rich woman now, Miss Pevensie." The statement had angered her to the point where she struggled to retain some small part of her composure and not lash out at the lawyer who was only doing his job after all. Old friends came round several days, she knew they were trying to be compassionate but a fridge full of Beef Wellington and Apple Pie wasn't going to change the fact that her family would never be coming home.

It took several years but she eventually began to find ways to cope with the loss of her family; finally allowing her to move on in her own life.

Things got better, she met her husband James and after 3 years of courting she married him in a spectacular ceremony that she knew Lucy would have adored. The only thing making her sad that day was the knowledge that she would never be able to share this happiness with her family. But it wasn't long before Susan was starting a family of her own.

Less than 2 years after her wedding day she gave birth to a beautiful blue eyed baby girl, she named Ella. For 5 years she lived happily with James and Ella in the house she'd grown up in. Her heart became almost whole once more and filled with the joy that her daughter bought her.

When Ella started school Susan found herself occasionally writing stories of a magical land protected by 4 extraordinary children and the adventures they had, to fill her time. When her husband died from lung cancer after years of smoking she found herself relying on her stories to distract her, she almost yearned for them to be true so she could take her daughter and escape to a happier world but she knew they were the product of her imagination and nothing more.

The years passed and Susan watched as her beautiful daughter grew into a stunning young woman always filled with a joy that reminded her of Lucy, and an intelligence so similar to that that had been possessed by Edmund and Peter. Susan's aging eyes watched with unrivalled happiness as her daughter walked down the aisle towards the man that in a few short minutes would become her husband. She'd cried with happiness when a few years later Ella and her husband, Oliver, had told her they were expecting a little girl in a few months time. And she'd smiled as she held her granddaughter in her arms for the very first time.

The hurt of losing her family never truly left her but the joy of watching her daughter and granddaughter live such happy lives made what used to be an excruciating pain become so faint that some days it couldn't be felt at all.

 **I really enjoyed writing this first chapter so I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please leave a review, any opinions are welcome and appreciated, xem98x**


	2. Chapter 2

**Back again! Loving writing this story so I hope you like it.**

 _Ding dong._ The sound of the door bell cut through the eerie silence of Susan's house and startled the old women sat lost in her thoughts in the confines of her armchair. Pulling herself to her feet Susan made her way slowly to the door and pulled it open to reveal her daughter.

"Hi, Mum." Ella smiled cheerily as she pulled her mother into a loss hug.

"Oh, hi sweetie." Susan said returning the hug and looking down to see her adorable little granddaughter stood hugging her favourite teddy bear. "Hi Poppy. Are you going to give your old granny a hug?" She said as she bent down to the little girls height and opened her arms, which were quickly filled by the little girl.

"Can I play in the garden?" Poppy asked sweetly looking up at her grandmother.

"Of course." Susan smiled and the glint of happiness returned as she watched the girl skip happily through the house and into the garden. "So where's Oliver?" Susan asked as she watched her daughter drag two suitcases into the house.

"He's at work, he'll be here later. Shall I make us a tea?" Ella said as she closed the front door gently behind her.

"Oh don't worry dear, I'll do it." Susan smiled as she walked into the kitchen and began making tea.

"The place hasn't changed at all." Ella said looking around happily, "Although was that oak tree always there at the end of the garden?"

"Oh yes, I had the neighbours kids over to tidy up the hedge a bit and when they cut it back they found it growing right in the middle. They were going to cut it down but I rather like it."

"It does look rather unusual with that twisted trunk, beautiful in its own unique way I suppose."

"Yes quite. Fancy wanting to cut it down."

"I wonder who planted it?"

"Oh most likely my mother, she never touched that end of the garden after Peter was born because it became a little outdoor den. And I never touched it either because you used to like hiding down there. I really should have left it so Poppy could play there, but it was looking so unruly and blocking the sunlight to the other plants."

Just then Poppy came running back in holding a silver object tightly in her little hand. "Granny, look what I found." She exclaimed in her cheerful innocence.

"Oh my, what's that Poppy?" Susan said enjoying the girls cheerful excitedness.

"I think it's a really really old torch, from the olden days." She stated matter of factly as she held it up for Susan to see.

 _Oh no, I've left my new torch in Narnia_

Edmunds voice echoed through her head as her fingers touched the cold silver metal of the object. Narnia? She questioned herself in her mind, but that was just a made up world for her adventure stories. So why did she remember Edmund talking about it.

"Mum? Mum?" Ella said trying to get Susan out of her trance.

"Edmund's torch." She muttered almost inaudibly but not quite.

"I found it under the roots of that tree, it still works, look." Poppy continued not even noticing her grandmothers trance like state.

"Why don't you go back outside and play with teddy, Poppy." Ella suggested as she took the torch from Poppy and watched her run back into the garden.

"He lost it." Susan said quietly to herself before coming back to reality and seeing Ella's concerned face, "I think I'm going to have a nap."

And leaving the table quietly she headed up to bed. It doesn't make any sense, she thought to herself, he must of lost it when we were playing in the garden. But then why would he mention Narnia? The thoughts swirled round her head as she slowly drifted off into a light sleep.

 _Peter just because some man in a red coat gives you a sword, doesn't make you a hero._

Her own voice echoed through her dreams along with visions of ice and wolves. She awoke with a start, her mind racing. It was just a dream she screamed in her head. But then why did it feel so real, why could she remember clinging to her brother, why could she remember the soft touch of her fur coat or the harshness of the icy air against her cheek. How could she remember this if it really was just a dream?

"Granny? Granny? Are you awake? Mummy made dinner, its ready now." The little girls soprano voice carried through the door and dragged a confused Susan back to reality.

"I'll be right there, honey." She called back and listened to Poppy's footsteps going down the stairs as she got out of bed and checked her hair in the mirror.

"Oh hello Oliver, its lovely to see you dear." She smiled at her daughters husband who was sitting at the dining table ready the paper.

"Hello Susan. Thank you for letting us stay, I still can't believe those idiot plumbers next door removed the wrong pipes.

"Well it's no trouble at all you staying here. Have they told you when the problem will be fixed."

"No, no, not yet. I expect it will be a rather long time just like everything else these days."

"Ahh well, you're more than welcome to stay here for as long as you want or need."

"Thanks Mum, that's very kind of you." Ella said as she placed a steaming hot cottage pie on the table.

They all tucked in and as they ate they spoke about small irrelevant matters such as the lovely weather they'd been having for the past couple of weeks.

The next few weeks passed rather uneventfully. Susan, Ella and Poppy went to the market a couple of times and to the park almost everyday. They even went to a funfair where Poppy insisted they all have a go at archery. Poppy and Ella were rather good at it but when Susan picked up the bow and image of her and Lucy standing in a field with targets set up 50 yards in front of them, filled her head. Without even noticing Susan had fired the arrow and hit the centre of the target.

 _Trust in this bow and it will not easily miss._

The words repeated in her head as she turned smiling towards Poppy who was jumping up and down cheering and smiling. As they walked away one thought ran through Susan's head. Was Narnia real?

That night when everyone was asleep, Susan had crept down to the study and found the copies of the books she had written when Ella was young. She spent all night reading them, images of this magical place flooding into her mind. She even heard a voice whispering, "Susan." But when she looked around there was no one there. Deciding she must be over tired she stood to turn off the light but instead her eye was caught be a tattered looking book she could see through the cupboard door. Ignoring her body screaming for sleep, she opened the door and pulled out the book. When she looked at the cover she saw a name scribbled in the bottom corner:

Lucy Pevensie

She took a deep breath as she opened the book to look at what was inside. She gasped suddenly, in her hands was a perfect painting of a castle she had described in stories. "But I've never seen any of Lucy's paintings before." She whispered to herself as she turned through the pages of paintings, all beautiful and all holding a striking likeliness to objects, places and people she described in her stories.

If it's all made up in my head how could Lucy have known about it? I only thought of these stories after Ella was born. Was Narnia real? The last thought spun round in her head until she couldn't bear it anymore, she stuffed the book back into the cupboards and walked as quickly as she could upstairs to her bed. She didn't hear the creaking of the old oak tree outside as the twisted trunk separated a tiny bit, causing the branches to twist and face a different direction.

 **Hope you enjoyed it, please leave a review. xem98x**


	3. Chapter 3

**Annddd another chapter. Absolutely loving this.**

"Granny? Can I read those books?" Poppy was pointing into the study at the pile of books Susan had left from the night she'd sat there and read them all trying to decipher if her own writing was holding some sort of secret.

"Of course, sweetie." Susan smiled as she walked in and picked up the books, taking them into the lounge the little girl sat in the armchair as her grandmother passed her the first book and she began to read.

It was a cold and rainy day, a typical British summer really. Oliver was at work and Ella had gone to meet a friend for the day, leaving Susan alone to look after Ella. They'd spent most of the day playing hide and seek but after lunch Poppy had announced she wanted to practise her reading and spent half an hour looking for a book before she spotted the ones in the study.

Whilst Poppy was engrossed in the books Susan had busied herself cooking roast beef for their dinner, as she washed potatoes and carrots she looked out the rain covered window.

"I could swear that tree has changed. I must be going blind." She muttered to herself as she continued working.

The front door opened and closed, "Hi Susan." Oliver called out politely as he hung his coat on the hanger by the door.

"Hi love." She called back to him.

"Smells delicious." He said as he walked into the kitchen, "Is Ella not back yet? Where's Poppy?"

"Ella said she probably won't be back until dinner. Poppy's reading in the lounge."

Oliver walked into the lounge to see his daughter. From the kitchen Susan heard Poppy cry "FOR NARNIA" at the top of her lungs.

 _For Narnia._

Peter's voice echoed in her head and she saw images from up high of two armies charging at each other, one looking regimental with huge machines throwing boulders, the other with an assortment of mythical creatures along with humans making up its ranks.

Susan hadn't noticed that in her trance she'd continued cooking until she was called back to reality by the voice of her daughter saying "Mum?"

She snapped back to reality just in time to see the worried glance being shared by Oliver and Ella.

"Sorry sweetheart, I was lost in thought. What did you want?" Susan smiled kindly at her daughter.

"It's ok Mum. I just wanted to ask if you needed any help?"

"Oh no, it's ok you go and sit down. I'm nearly done anyway."

Ella and Oliver left whispering in hushed tones as they went. The rest of the day and the next few weeks passed completely uneventful, with Susan only seeing the occasional image. When September rolled round Poppy went back to school and although Ella was still there all the time the house felt emptier. It reminded Susan of when Lucy used to have sleepovers at friends houses when they were young and the absence of her bubbly personality was always painfully noticeable.

One day Ella and Susan sat having afternoon tea, when Ella brought up the most unexpected topic.

"Mum. I need to speak to you about something." Ella started sounding slightly nervous.

"Go on then." Susan said taking a sip of tea.

"Oliver and I, we've been talking. Mum you're not as young as you used to be and we think maybe you should move into a home."

"Why on earth would I need to do that?" Susan said taken by surprise.

"Well you haven't been yourself, especially recently you've been almost absent. And we're worried that when we go home in a couple of weeks, that might happen again and there'll be no one here to make sure you're ok. We just want to make sure you don't get hurt."

"Ella, I'm fine. Ok? I don't need to move into a home, there's nothing wrong with me."

"Mum something's not right. Do you think we haven't heard you sneaking down to the study at night?"

"What relevance does that have with anything?"

"We're just worried, I'd hate it if something bad were to happen."

"I'm getting older Ella, it's natural and it doesn't mean anything bad is going to happen."

"Ok." Ella sighed reluctantly. She knew that Susan was stubborn and would never do anything that she didn't want to.

"I'm going to start getting dinner ready, could you do the laundry?"

Ella nodded and they both went to do their jobs. Susan was halfway through preparing the pork chops for their dinner when Ella walked in.

"These are beautiful." She said.

"What's that?" Susan asked without turning round.

"These paintings. I found the book open on your bed, I couldn't help going through them." She said as Susan turned to look at what she was talking about. "I didn't know you painted, Mum."

"I don't." Susan said simply as she turned away and back to the food she was preparing.

"Then whose are they? Dad's?" Ella asked curiously still flicking through the pages.

"Lucy's." Susan said simply.

"I didn't realise you still had some of her stuff." Ella said putting the book down and looking at her mother who still had her back to her.

"I have all their stuff, it's in the attic. But I found that in the cupboard in the study."

"You have _all_ their stuff?" Ella asked slightly disbelievingly.

"It's all in boxes in the attic." Susan said as a silent tear ran down her cheek.

"But they're dead Mum. Why do you have it all?"

Before Susan could answer they were interrupted by Oliver and Poppy who'd been at her friend's house. For the rest of the evening Susan stayed silent, all she wanted now was for Narnia to be real. Before she wanted to run there with Ella just to escape the pain of her real life. Now with memories of the place slowly returning, she wanted nothing more than to know if her family was alive there. Could Aslan have saved them? She remembered him as having huge power, did he have enough to do that?

 **Well that's the end of another chapter, please leave a review. xem98x**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's another chapter, hope you like it.**

When Susan woke up, she heard nothing but silence. Sighing she remembered that Ella, Oliver and Poppy had gone home yesterday. Looking around the house she realised just how empty it felt, she'd gotten so used to having them around; it had become the norm.

After eating she sat in the lounge and closed her eyes, what she'd decided were memories of Narnia swirled round her head.

 _Keep it you might need to call me again._

Her own voice sounded in her head along with the image of a young Hispanic looking man holding an intricately carved ivory horn. She could feel the weight of her clothing on her body and the heat of someone else behind her, she felt the leather of horse reigns in her hands and the damp air of being underground on her skin. She revelled in the memory taking in every aspect and when she finally opened her eyes it was dark outside.

"How long have I sat here?" She said aloud, knowing there would be no response.

She walked into the hallway intending to go to the kitchen for food but instead stood frozen to the spot staring into the mirror. Looking back at her was her own reflection but there was another woman with her. She blinked and shook her head, but the image stayed.

"I must be going crazy." She muttered as she went to walk away.

"You're not crazy, Su." The image in the mirror said.

Startled she looked back at the mirror, the image smiled.

"I promise." It said and then disappeared.

She stayed there in shock until her stomach rumbled loudly and she hurried off to find food.

Ever since that day Susan would spend several minutes staring into the mirror but the image never appeared again, she wished it would, she had so many questions.

Instead her life continued with a boring normality, although Ella had taken to making surprise visits just to make sure Susan was ok. It was on one of these visits that Ella had brought along Oliver and Poppy as well. They'd all shared lunch and Poppy was playing outside when Ella and Oliver bought up a topic Susan had come to dread.

"Mum, I know you don't want to but Oliver and I really think you should move into a home, The staff can look after you. It would make me feel so much better knowing you're not always on your own."

"Thank you for the concern both of you," Susan said gently, "but I'm not moving into a home. I'm perfectly fine on my own here."

"Oh Mum please. I'm so scared that something bad will happen and no one will know because your on your own."

"Ella, I'm in perfect health. You don't need to be scared."

"Susan, I think what Ella is trying to say. Is that she's worried you might get lost in your own thoughts and start a fire, say." Oliver attempted to explain calmly.

"I sometimes get lost in memories, that doesn't mean I lose all regard for my safety."

"Oh Mum, please don't be awkward. It's for the best."

"For the love of Aslan. Trying to get me to leave a house I've been in for the majority of my life is not for the best." Susan said with a strained control, frustration evident in her voice.

"What?" Oliver asked looking confused.

But before Susan could answer Poppy came running in screaming, "Come quickly, the tree's moving?" She dragged her parents from their chairs with Susan following into the garden.

The 4 of them stood on the grass as they watched the big oak tree twisting, its trunk beginning to form an archway. As they watched Susan remembered seeing the same image before, just before she'd left Narnia.

"Impossible." She said louder than she'd meant to. They all turned and looked at her.

"It's like in your story, Granny." Poppy said surprised.

Suddenly a deafening roar sounded from the archway of the tree, and a second later was followed by a powerful wind that blew them all off their feet.

When Susan sat up, she felt different. Lifting her hands she realised the wrinkled skin of the old lady she'd been was gone and replaced by the smooth skin of a much younger person. She struggled to her feet and saw the others doing the same, though they all looked exactly the same as they had a moment ago.

"Mum?" Ella asked looking a Susan her face a picture of shock and one that was mirrored in both Oliver's and Poppy's faces.

Susan didn't answer but instead looked down at herself, her body was covered in an elegant pale blue silk dress with golden embroidery, it clung loosely to her hips before cascading to her feet where the hem just skimmed the ground. She reached up and touched the hard circular object on her head, her fingers brushed over flowers and she knew immediately it was her Narnian crown.

"This isn't possible." She said looking towards the tree once more.

"SUSAN." They all heard the voice yelling her name.

"Peter." She said the shock evident in her voice. She hurried towards the tree only to be stopped by Ella.

"Mum, what are you doing?" She sounded scared.

Susan held her hand gently and looked into her daughters eyes, the eyes that were so much like her own, "trust me." She said quietly.

Ella let go of her hand and Susan turned and walked through the archway. One step later and she was standing on soft green grass and breathing the freshest air anyone could ever imagine.

 **Back in England**

"What just happened?" Oliver stammered nervously.

"It's all real." Poppy cried out and then louder, "It's all real."

"What?" Oliver asked his daughter.

"Mum's books." Ella answered instead from next to the tree. "When I was little she wrote books about a magical land, one protected by 4 siblings who fought an evil witch and were made monarchs."

"This is ridiculous."

"We have to follow her."

"Why?"

"It feels right."

Ella smiled and Poppy who grabbed both her parents hand and stepped through the archway into a new world.

 **Hope you liked it, please leave a review. xem98x**


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